


Synopsis: Song of the Executioner

by dairesfanficrefuge_archivist



Category: Highlander: The Series
Genre: Meta, Season/Series 03
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-12-31
Updated: 2003-12-31
Packaged: 2018-12-18 07:08:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11869167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dairesfanficrefuge_archivist/pseuds/dairesfanficrefuge_archivist
Summary: Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived atDaire's Fanfic Refuge. Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onDaire's Fanfic Refuge's collection profile.





	Synopsis: Song of the Executioner

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Daire's Fanfic Refuge](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Daire%27s_Fanfic_Refuge). Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Daire's Fanfic Refuge's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/dairesfanficrefuge/profile).

Song of the Executioner

**SONG OF THE EXECUTIONER**

We now meet Kalas, one of the Highlander's most powerful and devious enemies-the K'immie _everyone_ loves to hate. Kalas is as cold as death. He is compassionless, cruel, evil and cowardly. There are not enough foul adjectives to describe this totally amoral Immortal. 

Kalas has an old score to settle with MacLeod. Merely killing Mac will not satisfy him; he must first destroy everyone close to MacLeod, break him down emotionally and physically, until he no longer has the will to fight. He will use Mac's love for others against him. Knowing that hurting them will hurt MacLeod, Kalas will then savor Mac's destruction all the more. 

**_New Characters:_**

**KALAS** \- Very powerful and evil Immortal, masquerading as a monk. He lives in a monastery, possesses a beautiful singing voice and a talent for duplicating script perfectly. The consummate predator, he waits until an unwary Immortal leaves the sanctuary, then.... SWISH! The trusting Immortal is a head shorter and Kalas racks up another Quickening. 

**BROTHER PAUL** \- An Immortal monk, Kalas' teacher, old friend of Mac's who offered him shelter, rest and spiritual renewal back in the 17th century. 

**TIMON** \- Another Immortal given safe haven by Paul, befriended MacLeod. 

**MAX JUPE** \- a shiftless bass player, fired by Dawson. 

**KAREN** \- Nurse on duty at the hospital. 

**MARCIA** \- Anne's co-worker and good friend, under Dr. Anne's care for hypoglycemia. 

**DAN TARENDASH** \- Hospital administrator. 

* * *

Vanderbilt Hall 

Kyr-i-e ele-is-on,   
Chanting liturgical,   
Mac gives Anne a break-   
From activities surgical.   
A concert, church music,   
Magnificent choir,   
Men with pure voices-   
Robed in monks' plain attire. 

Hidden from sight-   
Kalas peers at a screen.   
He watches Mac's face,   
Now relaxed, and serene.   
Kalas touches his throat,   
Moves his lips silently.   
'MacLeod will soon pay-   
For what he did to me.' 

Brother Paul's the choir leader,   
It was he, who invited-   
MacLeod to the concert,   
Now both are delighted-   
To renew old acquaintance,   
But...a mite of confusion,   
Dr. Anne is not privy-   
To Immortal allusion. 

Paul's rejoined the world-   
From his cloister remote,   
Courtesy of a patron-   
Who intends to promote-   
Paul's tour and his records,   
Mac corrects him... ' _CDs_ '   
'Come by the loft later-   
And we'll shoot the breeze.' 

But, there is no 'later'-   
For poor Brother Paul.   
He senses the Buzz...   
Is Mac still in the hall?   
It's Kalas! The one-   
More than any, Paul fears.   
Paul has not used his sword-   
For three hundred years. 

Kalas goads and insults him,   
His voice rough and hoarse,   
'It was _I_ , brought you here.'   
(He's the 'patron', of course.)   
Paul is forced to his knees,   
'Is a prayer allowed?'   
As he starts, Kalas taunts-   
'Say one for MacLeod!' 

The Loft 

Anne checks in with Marcia-   
Who is home, feeling sick.   
'Rest, get some sleep.   
That should do the trick.'   
Mac's concerned about Paul,   
'He should have been here.'   
He cannot tell Anne-   
The true cause of his fear. 

Anne thanks Mac again-   
For the wonderful evening,   
'You are friends with a _MONK?_   
That takes some believing.   
I do not picture you-   
As the celibate kind.'   
Mac: 'You'd be surprised,'   
Mem'ries drift through his mind. 

Flashback, European Monastery, 1658 

Violent storm, howling wind,   
Heavens blazing with light.   
'Not even a beast-   
Should be out on this night.'   
Brother Paul, with friend Timon-   
Respond to the knocking...   
In comes the drenched Scot-   
Whose appearance is shocking. 

At first, Mac's distrustful-   
But exhaustion wins out.   
Brother Paul, with compassion-   
Validates MacLeod's doubt,   
'Half the world is at war!'   
'This is why you have fled,   
And the rest...' Paul observes,   
'...is after your head.' 

'My friend, Peter Hale-   
Told me where you'd be found.'   
'Brother Kalas informed us-   
Peter's gone, England-bound.   
We are on Holy Ground,   
You need fear no threat,   
Stay as long as you like,   
We have not lost one... _yet._ ' 

Some Immortal monk humor,   
Brother Paul's eyes are twinkling,   
How mistaken he is-   
He hasn't an inkling.   
Mac accepts his kind offer-   
Of peace, solitude.   
His body and spirit-   
Crave calm quietude. 

Mac hears Kalas chanting,   
Such a glorious voice!   
'He lives for his singing.   
He remains here by choice.'   
MacLeod settles in,   
Timon freely gives time,   
Teaching Mac to read English,   
'Macbeth', Shakespeare's rhyme. 

Mac and Kalas soon feel-   
Mutual fascination.   
Does Mac sense that Kalas-   
Plots assassination?   
Two Immortals of power,   
Each taking the measure-   
One of the other,   
To each other's displeasure. 

The Dojo Office, Present Day 

Rich is off to compete-   
In a motorbike race,   
He pauses, concerned-   
By the look on Mac's face.   
'No one's seen Paul.'   
MacLeod fears the worst.   
'I shouldn't have left him.'   
In guilt, he's immersed. 

The Hospital 

Dr. Anne too, is having-   
A very bad day.   
Karen tells her that Marcia's-   
In the morgue, D.O.A.   
Dan tells her what caused-   
Marcia's death seems to be-   
An insulin overdose,   
'Not given by me!' 

Dan seems to be doubting-   
Anne's reliability.   
He talks about lawyers,   
Hospital liability,   
'She was my _friend!_ '   
Anne stalks down the hall-   
Past Kalas, who stands...   
Bemused by it all. 

Joe's Bar 

Mac thought that Joe might-   
Have some news of Paul.   
His Watchers are useless!   
They're not on the ball.   
But Joe has more worries,   
His hair's getting grayer,   
He now has to fire-   
His goof-off bass player. 

Max Jupe is a nasty-   
Belligerent dude.   
He mouths off to Joe-   
With a mean attitude.   
He takes his last check,   
'I don't need you, you hear?'   
From the back of the bar-   
He cops one last beer. 

Mac says, 'Joe you said-   
You've a package for me.'   
Mac tears it open,   
Astonished to see.   
A rosary, crucifix...   
Soft silvery glow,   
'This means Paul is dead,   
Someone wants me to know.' 

Flashback, the Monastery, 1658 

Brother Paul's wit comes easy,   
He is quick with a gibe,   
So unlike Brother Kalas,   
The grim, somber scribe.   
Mac observes Kalas work-   
As he copies each section-   
Of G-d's holy words,   
'You're a _master! Perfection!_ ' 

Kalas tells Mac that he-   
Never leaves Holy Ground   
'Everything that I need-   
Is here, I have found.'   
'Not like Peter Hale,   
Tell me, where did he hurry?'   
'To Denmark,' lies Kalas.   
Now Mac starts to worry. 

Later, Mac reads Macbeth,   
Paul shows MacLeod, 'Look-   
Will Shakespeare has signed it.'   
Mac: 'He's ruined the book.'   
Paul tells Mac that Timon-   
'Has just now departed.'   
Mac wants to thank Timon-   
For being so good-hearted. 

Outside The Monastery, Off Holy Ground 

Mac follows the path-   
That Timon has tread.   
But, Kalas is quicker-   
And takes Timon's head!   
MacLeod with no sword,   
Stands impotently-   
As Kalas is Quickened-   
So triumphantly! 

Inside the Monastery 

MacLeod waits for Kalas.   
'How did it feel-   
To turn on a friend?'   
Kalas answers with zeal.   
He is proud of his feat,   
He has killed countless more,   
But he isn't aware-   
Paul is close by the door. 

'Leave here, _forever!_ '   
Paul banishes him   
'You _CANNOT!_ ' pleads Kalas.   
Then points, visage grim-   
To Mac, 'You don't know,   
What you've done...But you _WILL!_ '   
His barbarous threat-   
Turns Duncan's blood chill. 

Joe's Bar, Present Day 

MacLeod mourns Paul's loss,   
Joe, as well, empathizes,   
But the night is still young,   
Full of nasty surprises.   
Joe's friend, a detective-   
Presents a search warrant.   
'We're searching for drugs.'   
What a thought! How abhorrent! 

'We got a good tip-   
That you're dealing drugs here.'   
Sure enough, there's a stash-   
Right where Max found his beer.   
Mac is mystified, anxious,   
As they lead Joe away,   
Who would go to such lengths-   
To set Joe up this way? 

The Loft, Later 

Mac sees his love, Anne-   
Losing her confidence.   
Was Marcia's death caused-   
By her incompetence?   
Anne's self-criticism-   
Upsurges renascent-   
With a phone call...There's trouble-   
With another sick patient. 

The Hospital 

The patient has died-   
From allergic reaction.   
Anne's license in peril,   
She's distressed to distraction.   
'Duncan, my signature's-   
There on the chart.   
I prescribed penicillin,   
The shock stopped his heart.' 

Anne signed the chart?   
Mac remembers the way-   
Kalas flawlessly copied-   
On the parchment that day.   
'You're truly a _master!_ '   
Kalas lifted his quill,   
'I have labored for centuries-   
Perfecting my skill.' 

Everything is now clear,   
Mac goes to Anne's boss,   
Would Anne sign her name-   
Three times across?   
'No two signatures-   
Are exactly the same,   
Unless made by machine,   
Or _FORGED,_ ' is Mac's claim. 

Anne asks, 'Why would someone-   
Do something like this?'   
'He wants _MY_ life wrecked-   
As I destroyed _HIS._ '   
Anne wants the details,   
'Later, not now.'   
MacLeod's plea for time-   
Anne will not allow. 

'Duncan, I've tried,   
I can't take any more.'   
Mac turns, sadly walks-   
Down the long corridor.   
Anne calls, 'You leave now-   
It's the last time, we're through'   
His eyes wince with pain-   
But there's work he must do. 

Joe's Bar 

The sign says the sheriff-   
Has closed Dawson's bar.   
Joe sits by himself-   
Fiddling with his guitar.   
Mac arrives with the news,   
'Kalas set you up, Joe,'   
'Impossible, Mac,   
His face I would know.' 

'But if he had help-   
Someone inside, he hired...   
Your bass player, Joe,   
The one that you fired.'   
The pieces all fit,   
This misfit, Max Jupe-   
He was nothing more-   
Than Kalas' dupe. 

The Street 

Mac locates this weasel-   
And tries some persuasion.   
But Kalas has mastered-   
The art of evasion.   
Jupe did not get-   
An address or a name,   
At least Mac makes sure-   
That he clears Joe of blame. 

The Dojo 

The charges are dropped,   
But the bad guy's still free.   
'Joe, he wants to wreck-   
Everyone near to me.'   
Here's one Kalas missed,   
Richie won his bike race,   
He is back from Miami,   
With a smile on his face. 

The Loft 

Where can Kalas be?   
He will soon dispel doubt.   
This fiend calls the loft-   
To psych MacLeod out.   
'Is it hatred or pain,   
That you feel for me?   
Follow the music,   
That's where I'll be.' 

'Take care of Anne,   
Stay far, far from Kalas.'   
Mac wants Anne and Rich-   
Safe from this beast's malice.   
Joe cautions, 'He's good,   
Maybe better than you.'   
'I know,' Mac admits   
This fact's all too true. 

Vanderbilt Hall 

Mac heard on the phone-   
The recorded sweet voices-   
Of Paul's choir singing.   
That narrowed his choices.   
Now he enters the theater,   
(Much too dark to fight.)   
But as he mounts to the stage,   
He's illumined with light. 

Mac's opponent approaches,   
Both Immortals draw swords.   
' _Revenge!_ ' hisses Kalas-   
Through his flawed vocal cords.   
Ferocious, their battle,   
Mercilessly dispatched,   
For the moment, they seem-   
Quite evenly matched. 

The Hospital 

Richie tries to find Anne,   
As per Mac's request,   
Karen: 'She got a fax-   
Then she quickly egressed.'   
'I'm sorry, Anne-   
To the Vanderbilt, come.'   
The signature's Duncan's-   
Neatly forged by that scum. 

Vanderbilt Hall 

Meanwhile the battle-   
Storms on unabated.   
Rarely two souls-   
Have each other, so hated.   
Anne's car has pulled up.   
Kalas feels satisfied,   
This distraction to Mac-   
Will indeed turn the tide. 

It _does!_ Mac's _disarmed!_   
He runs, vainly hoping-   
What can he use?   
For a weapon, he's groping.   
Scrambling up a cat-walk,   
There's a closed door in view,   
But behind, Kalas lurks-   
His cruel blade runs Mac through. 

Mac staggers, impaled...   
' _Why?_ ' Wheezing, gasping.   
'For _THIS!_ ' Kalas bares-   
His throat, voice still rasping.   
Mac stares at the scars,   
'That's real nice to see.'   
With Kalas now distracted-   
MacLeod can pull free. 

Mac's still in great pain-   
But finds strength to cling-   
To the high catwalk's edge,   
There he hangs...dangling.   
' _Duncan!_ ' Anne cries.   
At the sound of her voice-   
He releases his hold.   
It's his only choice. 

The shattering impact!   
And Anne sees it all!   
His back snapped in two-   
By that horrible fall!   
Hysterically, Anne-   
Tries to bring her love back.   
Richie runs down the aisle,   
Quickly pulls her from Mac. 

She must not be there-   
When he draws his next breath.   
Can't see him revive-   
When she witnessed his death.   
When Mac wakes, alone-   
He'll reanimate knowing-   
Kalas still lurks out there-   
And his hatred is growing. 

The Dojo/Loft 

To Rich, Anne regrets-   
Her last words to Mac.   
They were spoken in anger,   
Now she can't take them back.   
They hug tearfully,   
Anne gives one last look,   
Her love for MacLeod-   
Now a closed, treasured book. 

Mac heard every word-   
From the loft overhead.   
He descends, teary eyed-   
Moved by all that Anne said.   
Rich does not understand,   
'You were her universe,   
Why not tell the truth?'   
'Cause the truth is far worse.' 

'Kalas won't go away,   
Anne must not be involved-   
In the lives that we lead.'   
Without doubt, Mac's resolved.   
'I'm leaving,' says Mac.   
To Richie's distress,   
'Rich I can't handle-   
Again, losing Tess.' 

Vanderbilt Hall 

The concert hall's empty,   
But he stands undeterred,   
As the aria resounds,   
Kalas lip-synchs each word.   
He sings as Pagliacco,   
The clown and buffoon,   
In his own voice he whispers-   
'Soon... MacLeod.... soon.' 

Peace, Emit   
© 2001-2003 

**From _Under the Kilt_ from Highlander: The Official Website: **

David Abramowitz, Creative Consultant   
'David Robb as Kalas was a great villain, a great villain.' 

**Don Paonessa, Creative Consultant, Post Production**   
'That was a really good set that Steve Geaghan put together. I remember that I shot a promo with Adrian on that set; he was wearing his monk's robe.' 

**Ken Gord, Producer**   
'David Robb appearing for the first time. Steve Geaghan, our Canadian Production Designer, had to build the interior monastery. If you'd shot it in France, which would have been the smart thing to do, there would have been like 5000 to choose from, but here, in Vancouver, we had to build one. It was big job, but they did a good job.' 

~ Star-Crossed   
  
---


End file.
